Mississauga, ON – November 15, 2016. The Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA) and the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) today announced the release of the Return ON Investment of BIAs Background Research Report –obiaa-roi-background-research-report-2016

This important study, funded with the support of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, will identify the common success factors needed by BIAs, industry and government to assess the contribution of BIAs to their communities. The Background Research Report uses secondary information and data sources to create a context backdrop for the primary research currently being conducted through interviews, surveys and other methods.

“The Background Research Report looks at provincial, municipal, academic and private industry information to get a picture of how BIAs and their members currently assess their impact on their communities and how,” said Kay Matthews, Executive Director of OBIAA. “This Report also examines at how other BIAs and jurisdictions around the world are measuring impact so we can use best practices and benchmarks elsewhere and build from there.”

The Background Research Report also looks at available data sources and the gaps between currently available data and the data that will be needed in future to properly measure BIA impact. The Report, produced by FOTENN Planning + Design, sets the stage for the next set of reports on the primary research, the first of which is scheduled for release in January of 2017. The final report will be presented at OBIAA’s National Conference in April 2017.

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About OBIAA

OBIAA is the network that represents unique and vibrant BIAs across Ontario. The Association, incorporated in 200, supports and advocates on behalf of its members through the building and nurturing of strong relationships and partnerships. OBIAA is a leader in the development and sharing of information, tools, resources and best practices, and is the ONE voice on common issues. www.obiaa.com

About TABIA

TABIA is a non-profit umbrella organization representing the City of Toronto’s 82 Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) who in turn represent over 40,000 small businesses and property owners. BIAs are responsible for the development of their commercial neighbourhoods and are a diverse and vibrant collection of ethnic, historic and business locations, combining to make Toronto a veritable City of Neighbourhoods. www.toronto-bia.com